Hamlet and King Lear

A comparison of the main characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and King Lear.

This paper briefly compares the characters of Hamlet and King Lear, the main characters in two of Shakespeare’s plays. It shows how both are very powerful characters yet use their power in very different ways.

“In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, the title character is a young, brooding man in his early twenties who is faced with the murder of his father by his Uncle, who becomes his stepfather. Despite being well aware of the terrible actions of his mother and his stepfather, Hamlet takes quite a lot of time deciding what measures need to be taken. On the contrary, King Lear (of Shakespeare’s play titled King Lear) begins the play in the exact opposite mindset. His reign as king is drawing near, and his vision regarding the circumstances of those around him is quite clear. However, King Lear almost immediately begins his downfall into madness, while Hamlet’s journey to clarity begins.”